National network of attorneys will resume availability in connection with consumer inquiries over allegations stemming from FDA recall of ASR metal-on-metal implants

Resource4thePeople today announced today that its national network of attorneys will continue to offer no-cost consultations in 2014 to consumers who are seeking compensation over allegations involving recalled metal hip systems produced by DePuy Orthopaedics.

“We are proud to announce that our policy of providing these consultations to consumers inquiring about allegations of failures of DePuy ASR hip systems recalled by the Food and Drug Administration* Aug. 24, 2010 will resume in 2014,” said Resource4thePeople.

The announcement was made after numerous inquiries were received from consumers about whether Resource4thePeople's national network of attorneys would, after 2013, continue to offer these consultations, said Resource4thePeople.

“The continued increase in the number of consumers inquiring about DePuy ASR and other metal-on-metal hip implant allegations has paralleled the increase in numbers in a massive multidistrict litigation** and demonstrates that there are a great number of affected consumers seeking experienced, aggressive legal help,” said Resource4thePeople.

There are now about 8,000 such lawsuits involving allegations of defective devices in the federal multidistrict litigation which is being presided over by a single judge, according to recent statistics*** provided by the U.S. Panel on Multidistrict Litigations.

Resource4thePeople also is announcing that it will continue to provide consumers with updates about the latest developments involving this litigation and other lawsuits that have been filed across the country in connection with allegations involving metal-on-metal hip implants.

One of the most recent developments is the progress of a proposed multibillion dollar settlement involving allegations over recalled metal hip systems produced by DePuy Orthopaedics that has been put forth by DePuy's parent company, Johnson & Johnson.

Bloomberg News reported**** on Nov. 21, 2013 that plaintiffs who have sued over these allegations would be eligible for a settlement “if they had an ASR implanted in the U.S. or a U.S. military hospital, had it removed for reasons related to the recall by Aug. 31 and had it in place for at least 180 days.”

Resource4thePeople is encouraged that a settlement proposal has been submitted and that there may be a resolution for some of those who are alleging they have been victimized by devices that have been recalled.

“However, the proposed settlement may not be the best avenue of compensation for all victims and the fact that there is a settlement being proposed in no way prevents other consumers from coming forth and filing their own claims in connection with metal-on-metal hip devices that allegedly failed,” said Resource4thePeople.

Bloomberg also said in its report that DePuy’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, agreed to pay nearly $2.5 billion to resolve about 8,000 suits by patients who’ve already had defective hips removed and that there are still an estimated 4,000 suits from patients who haven’t yet had their implants removed.

“The accord, which ultimately could be worth more than $4 billion, doesn’t bar patients whose hips fail in the future from seeking compensation from the company,” Bloomberg reported.

The New York Times in a Nov. 12, 2013 posting***** reported on the huge scope of the proposed settlement saying, "The tentative plan, which must win court approval, represents one of the largest payouts for product liability claims involving a medical device."

"This tentative settlement is good news for the thousands of consumers who may have been affected by allegations that these metal-on-metal hip implants known as the Articular Surface Replacement, or ASR systems were flawed and caused serious health problems," said Resource4thePeople.

The devices were the subject of a nationwide recall in which the FDA warned consumers about the dangers of metal-on-metal hip implant systems.

In its announcement, the FDA said, "there was a voluntary recall of the DePuy ASR TM total hip system because of new, unpublished data from the UK joint registry indicating the revision rates within 5 years were approximately 13 percent."

The Times, in its settlement report, said that, "Many artificial hips last 15 years or more before they wear out and need to be replaced. But by 2008, data from orthopedic databases outside the United States also showed that the A.S.R. was failing at high rates in patients after just a few years."

"Internal DePuy projections estimate that it will fail in 40 percent of those patients in five years, a rate eight times higher than for many other hip devices," the Times also reported.

The federal cases, and another multidistrict consolidation****** of state cases that now numbers over 600 lawsuits involving the same allegations are progressing on parallel tracks, said Resource4thePeople.

Here is a description******* of the common allegations taken from the federal litigation court file:

"The actions share factual issues as to whether DePuy’s ASR XL Acetabular Hip System, a device used in hip replacement surgery, was defectively designed and/or manufactured, and whether DePuy failed to provide adequate warnings concerning the device, which DePuy recalled along with another ASR device,3 the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, in August 2010."

DePuy’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson on, May 17, 2013******** announced it was halting sales of metal implant products after two trials in which one jury********* awarded a plaintiff $8.3 million in damages and a second trial********** in which a jury found in favor of DePuy.